Car Talk: In snow, all-wheel drive beats two-wheel drive

Ray Magliozzi

Sunday

Dec 17, 2017 at 9:31 AM

Dear Car Talk:

I have a question for someone old enough to remember when rear-wheel drive was the only option and fishtailing was the norm in winter snows. Does front-wheel drive (versus rear-wheel drive) make a difference in handling for electric cars that have no engine up front (or in the back)? I’m on the waiting list for the Tesla Model 3 with rear-wheel drive, and I believe the batteries are distributed under the car, not in the front or back. There is an all-wheel-drive option, with no price tag listed. I do not drive up and down mountains in the snow, and most of the streets get plowed within a reasonable time frame; however, I do work in a profession that has no snow days, and attendance is required. Thanks. — Dolores

All-wheel drive is always better than two-wheel drive in the snow. That’s because you double your chances of finding at least one wheel with traction.

But some front-wheel-drive cars, and even a few rear-wheel-drive cars, are plenty good enough for getting through mild or plowed snow. Will the Tesla Model 3 be one of those? Unfortunately, we won’t really know until some other Snow Belt guinea pigs try out their Model 3s.

Battery-powered cars, so far, have been heavier than gasoline-powered cars, due to the weight of the batteries themselves. And weight usually is an advantage in snow — in that it helps the car sink down through the snow and gain traction. With an estimated weight of about 3,500 pounds, that should be a plus for the Model 3 in snow. But the weight will be distributed along the length of the car, rather than right over the driven wheels, like on front-wheel-drive gasoline-powered cars.

On the plus side, like pretty much all cars these days, the Model 3 will have electronic traction control, which helps eliminate wheel spin in the snow. But preventing wheel spin electronically doesn’t help you if neither of your driven wheels has traction.

I’d lean toward all-wheel drive for you, just because you absolutely have to get to work when it snows. It’s going to cost you a few thousand dollars extra, but you already knew you weren’t actually going to drive off the lot in a Model 3 for $35,000, right?